By Chris Major President, Novato Chess Club The Chess Master and the Painting Featuring an excerpt from Billy Graham Billy Graham once shared a powerful story connecting faith and the game of chess: “There is a picture of a chess game hanging in Paris. On one side of the painting is the Devil, and on the other side is a lad about sixteen years of age. They are playing chess. The Devil has a leering, triumphant expression on his face. He has just licked this boy at chess, and the boy is...

By Chris Major President, Novato Chess Club As we close 2026 Black History Month, I wanted to share a video of my participation on a 12/20/20 panel called "Who are my brothers: A conversation On Racism." Chess is more than a game. It’s a universal language spoken across cultures for over 1,500 years. At the chessboard, labels disappear. There is no blame. No shouting. No division. Every move is yours. Just like life. Faith and Reason Young people today need more than information. They need...

By Chris Major President, Novato Chess Club When Novato Chess Club first began, it wasn’t about trophies, ratings, or titles. It was about something simpler—and far more powerful: connection. A chessboard doesn’t care where you’re from. It doesn’t ask what language you speak, what religion you follow, or what side of a border you live on. You sit down. You shake hands. And in silence, you communicate. Over the past several years, that quiet language of chess has carried me far beyond Novato....